The present invention relates to security systems, and more particularly relates to a centralized security and alarm system, and related method, which operate to control a life safety device with integrated Wi-Fi and GPS capability.
Home security and personal safety are major concerns for individuals, and their loved ones. Most homeowners wish to protect their valuables and maintain safe havens for themselves and their family members. To that end, numerous conventional central security and alarm systems for homes and businesses are known to provide various monitoring, surveillance and notification features and options to protect the homes, homeowners, family members, visitors, businesses, workers, customers, etc, which automatically notify an end-user at the protected premises at detection of an alarm event, and allow the end-user to automatically generate a communicate signal in an attempt to notify monitoring personnel, or systems of an emergent event.
Conventional central security and alarm systems operate generally as follows. An alarm event detection device protecting an alarm zone, e.g., a front door, of protected premises will detect an alarm event such as an unauthorized opening of the front door. The detection is communicated by the detection device to a local central home panel, or server. The central panel, in response to receipt of detection notification, and typically after some fixed alarm-entry delay (where the alarm is not cancelled), transmits an alarm notification (signal) to a central monitoring station, where slated persons can respond to the notification. Alarm event detection devices include but are not limited to window detectors, door detectors, motion sensors, digital and analog (CCTV) image or acquisition devices and cameras, passive infrared (PIR) detectors, microwave detectors, seismic detectors, dual-modality sensor, ultrasonic and other human motion detectors and systems.
In addition to such traditional features of convention central security and alarm systems, many conventional alarm systems also include a feature where in an emergency the end user can automatically communicate an emergency condition. The feature is known to be implemented via hand-held devices that may be carried or attached to the end user. For example, a hand-held electronic device that includes a “panic button,” such as a life safety pendant or device. Such known life safety devices may be operated in an emergency by simply activating the panic button. For example, the panic button would be activated by a user upon becoming aware of a presence of an intruder, upon detecting a fire, upon detecting an emergency medical condition requiring an emergent response or other emergency situation an immediate communication with a central monitoring station (central station) or service is prudent. Such “panic button” initiated communication signals, or other communications further require that the sender verbally, or by text message, communicate the type of emergency upon contact with responders to provide some indication of the nature of the emergency.
Such conventional operation of known life safety devices with panic button-type activation features may include that the signal from the life safety device is communicated to a local or central panel, which in turn communicates to the central station, or in some cases communicate directly to a centralized security monitoring local (central station) or local police, fire or emergency healthcare providers. The emergency (panic button) signal produced and communicated by known life safety devices is typically distinguishable from an emergency signal communicated by a fire or intrusion detection device so that it is readily distinguished from such fire or intrusion detection device signals so that responders can appreciate the nature of the urgency of the emergency communication via the signal.
A drawback of known life safety devices, and corresponding central security and alarm system operation is that when activated to respond to an emergency, they do not provide the physical location of the user who has activated the device. For that matter, conventional life safety devices, and corresponding system operation typically requires a conscious and alert user to inform a central station of their location. Life safety devices are known to attempt to accommodate this requirement, for example, by including for use a remote speaker and microphone device to enable voice communication with monitoring personnel. That is, there is a need to allow a user to communicate with a central monitoring station, or other remote location at which responders are resident regarding any life safety condition.
The reader should readily agree that such operation poses an acute problem under circumstances where the user in need of an emergency response or physical intervention has been incapacitated, either before, or immediately after sending a panic signal. Incapacitation will prevent the user in the emergency situation from communicating to responders their exact location. As an example, emergency medical personnel (e.g., police or EMTs) that might be dispatched in response to a signal communicated by a user via a known life safety device would be required to search the premises or location for the incapacitated user upon arrival at the protected premises, wasting valuable time. It is known that under conditions of cardiac arrest, where the victim is unconscious, the chance of survival decreases by ten (10) percent
Accordingly, a more efficient and effective life safety device, method for effectively communicating by the novel life safety device to security personnel, and central security and alarm system that is readily able to respond to same life safety device to identify the exact location of the user actuating the life safety device that overcomes the shortcomings of the conventional arts.